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The Madgod Isles
‘The Madgod Isles’ is the informal title used to refer to a fan-written expansion of Bethesda’s existing canon on the Shivering Isles, written by user ‘Colonel Mustard’. Used as the setting of the story Madgod, it features new key political figures, faction, religions and fauna, as well as those that existed in The Shivering Isles expansion. Key Figures Along with several of the key characters from the Shivering Isles expansion, Madgod also features a notable number of original characters who inhabit the Isles. Sentinel - The Watchman of Sheogorath Made when Sheogorath grew bored of being omniscient when in the Isles, Sentinel watches over the Shivering Isles eternally. Resembling a Redguard, but with dozens of eyes covering his head where his hair should be, Sentinel need not sleep, eat nor drink, though he is known to be partial to smoking with a hookah and often enjoys the company of others. Her Ladyship Not known by any other name, Her Ladyship owns land on the Laughing Coasts and has made a name for herself by assuming control of every brothel within the Shivering Isles through a mixture of cunning and ruthless business practices; she used this control of the Isles' prolific sex industry in order to improve standards and to protect workers. As well as this, she wields significant political clout in Manic courts, and is known to regularly travel between the Isles and Mundus for business arrangements and to catch shows at the Imperial Arena. Sheogorath's Angels Representing the extremes of Sheogorath's aspects, there are four angels on the Shivering Isles; Rage, Lust, Pride and Despair. Each one of them occupies the most extreme location on their cardinal point, with Lust residing in the northernmost region of the Isles in Saint's Watch, Rage in the west, Despair on the tip of Madgod’s Boot and Pride to the east, on the coast next to the Jester’s Spine mountains. Sheogorath is said to have made them as guardians of the artefacts known as the Pillars of the Isles, relics of immense power said to help hold the realm together. Religious institutions and faiths The religions in the Madgod Isles hold to the Mania/Dementia duality that is the underpinning tenet of the Shivering Isles setting. The number of religions, however, has been increased; instead of just two faiths worshipping Sheogorath in his Manic or Demented aspects, the Madgod Isles features six. The Church of Mania "My good friends, a most jubilant time is once again at hand. The Flame of the Maniacs burns bright, and we must celebrate! Now is a time for indulgence. Partake of the wine and the Greenmote! Cast off your clothing and your inhibitions! Sing and dance until the sun rises! Feast until your belly is full, then fill the wine goblets once more and toast our fortune. '' ''We shall raise our goblets to the great Sheogorath, may he rule the Isles for another thousand years. '' ''We shall raise our goblets to the Demented. Though misguided they are, we are all children of Arden-Sul's teachings and therefore equal. '' ''And finally, we shall raise our goblets to the great Arden-Sul: poet, thespian, author, lover, virtuoso, and artisan extraordinaire. '' ''To be a Maniac is to love and be loved. Spread the compassion and the warmth throughout New Sheoth and beyond. '' ''Smile at your fellow man. Help him when he falls. Remember, these are the times of mirth and cheer. These are the times of Mania!" '' ''-Typical Sermon as Conducted by the Church of Mania '' The largest religion in Mania, the Church of Mania concerns itself with the spiritual guidance of most the region’s people. Clergy are generally accepted from all walks of life, and fanaticism and zeal are generally more important qualifiers than knowledge of key religious texts or even literacy. These priests will maintain shrines to Sheogorath in smaller villages, or live in local churches in neighbourhoods of Bliss. The Church of Dementia ''“Deceit. Hate. Subterfuge. Malice. Vengeance. '' ''These are words that the Maniacs would have you believe are "sins." '' ''Blasphemy! These words are the pillars upon which the teachings of Arden-Sul stand! '' ''Now is the time when we must band together and vanquish those who would pervert our forefather's tenets! '' ''Trust in Arden-Sul's legitimate teachings. Don't allow the decadent ways of Mania to blind your vision. '' ''Their answer to life's trials is viewed through the greenish haze of Greenmote and blurred by the taste of spirits. '' ''Lift yourself above these follies and meet your foes head-on. Twist a blade in their stomach instead of filling their ears with useless words. '' ''Our time has come, brethren. The die has been cast, and the Flame of the Demented blazes like the fire in our hearts! '' ''Victory to the Demented!" '' ''-Typical Sermon as conducted by a member of the Church of Dementia The most common faith in Dementia, the Church of Dementia follows almost exactly the same function of the Church of Mania. Notably, however, their priests are made up of sceptics rather than fanatics, and those who extensively study and debate religious texts (in arguments that often turn violent) are most likely to be accepted as priests; the Church believes that it’s philosophical standpoint is strengthened by constantly refuting those who doubt it. On more than one occasion, such ‘refutations’ have been stoning or hanging. The Sisterhood of Immolation “In flame we see thy face, o lord! In fire we uncover thy aspect! Bring thy light to the dark! Bring thy heat to the cold! Call upon thy power, and bless us by consuming all in sacred fire!” '' ''-Prayer of the Sisterhood of Immolation An all female order based in Bliss, the core belief of the Sisterhood of Immolation is a simple one; Sheogorath is unpredictable, uncontrolled chaos given form, and nothing is more unpredictable and difficult to control than flame. Sisters of Immolation possess an unparalleled skill in pyromancy, and when it comes to creating combustible or explosive substances they possess a good number of skilful alchemists. Sisterhood religious practises are loud and exuberant, typically involving fireworks, flame-based spells, chanting, music and dance. Their temple is somewhat infamous for burning down, and the local buildings are remarkably cheap to purchase, provided a buyer is willing to put up with the constant fire hazard. The Frozen Brethren “Weep and see your tears freeze. Feel him sap your strength, feel him consume your hope. Trek on through the chill and know that the warmth you feel before thy death is a lie. He is the stasis and He is unchanging, and He shall preserve all in the chill of eternity.” '' ''-Prayer of the Frozen Brethren The mirror image of the Sisterhood of Immolation, the Frozen Brethren believe that Sheogorath’s nature as the Prince of Madness is eternal and unchanging. As such, they believe that ice, not flame, is the truest expression of Sheogorath’s nature, and are incredibly adept at casting ice spells. Frozen Brethren worship sessions are dour affairs, involving chanting and dirges, self-flagellation and on occasion, ritualised, sacrificial suicide. The Feasters “Sheogorath and the Isles are one and the same; His divinity permeates the land! '' ''All living things grow from the Isles! All living things grow from Sheogorath! '' ''To partake in that which lives is to partake in the Madgod! '' ''To consume His living creatures is to consume Sheogorath himself! '' ''To consume the divine is to become divine! Every living thing we eat makes us akin to Sheogorath! '' ''Let nothing remain unconsumed! Feed the Primal Hunger! We are the Feasters! We shall be of the Madgod! '' ''There is but one thing the true Feaster can do! Sing praise to Sheogorath, and consume the flesh of His enemies!” '' ''-Battle-Prayer of the Feasters The core tenet of Feaster beliefs is that, as Sheogorath created the Shivering Isles, his divinity imbues every living thing upon them; by consuming living matter, the Feasters believe that they can bring themselves closer to Sheogorath. As a result, Feaster worship involves ritualistic mutilation, offerings of blood, sacrifice of sentient beings and cannibalism. Out of all the faiths of the Isles, they are the most overtly violent and militant, with most Feasters being trained in the use of weapons for the sake of holy bloodletting, and they hold a deep-seated hatred for their Demented counterparts, the Starvers. Feasters are also notable for their clerics, with Feaster clerics being equivalent to Tamriel's various types of Knight-Errant. Each Feaster cleric is a fearless, bloodthirsty fanatic, trained to exacting standards with only the most faithful and deadly being selected to join their ranks. These clerics make themselves even more deadly with their consumption of a substance known as Madgod's Blood, a combat drug that vastly boosts strength and reflexes to the where a cleric on a high can bend steel with their hands and perceive the world so quickly that time seems to dilate and slow around them; however, it is cripplingly addictive with withdrawal symptoms starting in only a few hours and only able to be staved off by use of greenmote (one of Madgod's Blood's active ingredients), and once regular usage begins most clerics can expect to live between eight to ten years before their body breaks down. The Starvers "To eat is to deny. To consume is to be selfish. To eat is to steal. To consume is to deny the Madgod His due. Fast, become the ascetics of Sheogorath. Let us never take more than what we need. Let us never rob from Sheogorath. Let us starve, and know the power of the Madgod." ''-Feaster Prayer'' The faith of the Starvers operates on the same basic concept as that of the Feasters, but they believe that the innate divinity in living things should be spared as much as possible, and thus eat as little as they can. While the Feasters are much more martially able, the Starvers are adept mages, and are also well-specialised in Viscermancy; through its use, they can adapt their bodies to need as little food as possible. Arden-Sul, the Primal Mythos-Figure Though not a religion, Arden-Sul is nonetheless a key figure in all of the collected mythologies of the Isles' various religions. With so many different tellings of his myths, and each religion claiming that he exclusively founded them and none else (the Sisterhood of Immolation goes so far as to maintain that Arden Sul was, in fact, a woman and not a man), the accounts are too confused for scholars to gain any definite answers. From examination of the myths surrounding him, however, each one involves Arden-Sul fighting a great force that attempted to invade the Isles and, while not destroying it outright, turning it back. After this, he prophecies that this invader will one day return, before either dying or disappearing. Fauna The Madgod Isles contain several examples of animals not present in official Bethesda canon, listed below. Rayet Bipedal animals with long, straight tails, swan-like necks, four eyes and long, curved beaks, Rayet stand with their chest facing the ground in a pose reminiscient of dinosaurs of the Dromaeosauridae family . Rayet are used as mounts and beasts of burden, able to carry heavy loads or pull wagons as ably as a horse. Those used as war mounts are often trained to attack enemies with their beaks, which are more than capable of spearing through vulnerable joints in armour to stab into flesh and bone beneath. Rayet come in both Demented and Manic subspecies; Demented variants are scaled, and generally colouration ranges between deep grey to a mottled dun, whilst Manic ones are covered in bright feathers of many colours and often sport vibrant plumes on their heads. Rayet are vegetarians, their beaks evolved to dip into long, trumpet-shaped flowers that grow across the Isles to drink the nectar at their bases; the flowers in turn benefit from Rayet serving as pollination agents. Haratak Thought to be a distant relative of the Rayet, Haratak are the apex predators of the Isles, resembling dragons with long, prehensile necks and the same curved beaks of their evolutionary cousins. Unlike Rayet, however, Haratak are dangerous predators, one pair of their eyes being able to perceive prey in heat vision, and their beaks are toothed, allowing them to bite through flesh, bone and metal alike. As with Rayet, Haratak have distinct Manic and Demented subspecies, with Demented variants being scaled and Manic ones being feathered. If raised from a hatchling, however, a Haratak can be tamed, and are used as mounts by the elite of Dark Seducer and Golden Saint armies, making an imposing sight as lance-armed daedra and their immense mounts swoop onto the enemy. Swattle Thought to be relatives to Baliwogs and Grummites, Swattle are much more docile than either of those creatures, the six-legged, flabby amphbians being used as herd animals by inhabitants of the Isles for meat and leather. Magic Madgod featured two unique magical styles that are not featured in official Bethesda canon; Audiomancy and Visceramancy. Audiomancy Audiomancy is not technically a school of magic, but is instead simply a different means to draw upon and control arcane energies. Sound of any kind is used as the magical focus, and usually takes the form of an instrument, with most audiomancers being able bards and musicians. While any spell from any magical school can be cast using audomantic means, it lends itself best to Illusion spells, with sound being able to confuse, fool, calm, panic or frenzy enemies. Visceramancy "Necromancy? Hah! The type of magic I practise is no mere necromancy. Compared to me, a necromancer is just a child jerking on the strings of puppets. Visceramancy is something far, far greater than any grave-grubbing fool can hope to achieve." ''-Relmyna Venerim'' A school of magic pioneered by Relmyna Venerim, derived from Restoration and necromancy, visceramancy involves the manipulation and control of living tissue. Skilled visceramancers have the potential to be immensely powerful, altering their bodies with arcane power, able to make themselves far greater than ordinary mortals. Alternatively, they are able to create creatures of terrifying might to serve their will, and making an enemy of a visceramancer is a very bad move indeed. '' ''